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Early American Writing

Early American Writing. Early writers focused on describing and trying to make sense out of their challenging and new environment Millions of people lived in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans

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Early American Writing

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  1. Early American Writing • Early writers focused on describing and trying to make sense out of their challenging and new environment • Millions of people lived in the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans • First relationships between Native Americans and Europeans was cooperative, until the Europeans began to force them off their land

  2. First colony – Jamestown (1607) Loyal to England but not represented Broke from England and declared “free and independent” in 1776 Founding fathers, Franklin, Jefferson, Hancock, etc. wrote Declaration of Independence Adopted in 1788 – United States was born From a colony to a country

  3. Cultural influences • Puritan beliefs and values directed people’s lives • Struggle with sin a daily mission • Felt humans were sinful; some “elect would be spared from hell

  4. Burst of intellectual energy – Enlightenment Questioned who should hold power “Give me liberty or give me death!” Emphasized reason The Great Awakening – fear that Puritan values were being lost Called for people to rededicate themselves Unified colonists and set new standards Emphasized emotion Ideas of the age

  5. Native American Experience 300 cultures, over 200 languages One common activity – storytelling Much oral tradition was lost to European diseases Explorers and Early Settlers Journals, diaries, letters and logs of first settlers (Christopher Columbus) Settlers wrote home and described the landscape Early American Literature

  6. The Puritan Tradition • Believed writing was a tool to help understand the Bible • Logic, clarity and order are emphasized in their style • Sermons warn the dangers of sinful ways

  7. Puritan poets • Anne Bradstreet • Edward Taylor • Poetry is a means of exploring the relationship between the individual and God

  8. Focused energies on matters of government rather than religion Publication of pamphlets – 1763-1783 Fueled the revolution Reached thousands quickly Thomas Paine Wrote Common Sense Argued that American had a special destiny to be a model to the rest of the world Welcome people from around the world to its free society Writers of the revolution

  9. Writing that launched a nation • Declaration of Independence • Argued that natural law would govern (people are born with rights and freedoms) • Government protects those freedoms

  10. Other significant writers • Phillis Wheatley – wrote poems and letters about the rights of African-Americans • Abigail Adams – urged her husband, 2nd President, to include women’s rights in the founding documents

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